1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to the field of computing. More specifically, the present invention relates to a method and apparatus for controlling access restrictions for media playback.
2. Background Information
With advances in integrated circuit, microprocessor, networking and communication technologies, an increasing number of digital computing devices are being networked together to facilitate the exchange of electronic information. Accordingly, traditional audio and video content providers such as radio and television studios, recording associations, independent recording artists, and so forth, are turning to digital communication networks such as the Internet for dissemination and distribution of media content.
Given the wide variety of media content available on the Internet, coupled with the wide spectrum of principles and beliefs held by individuals and/or groups of people, it is easy to understand that much media content may, at one time or another, be found to be objectionable by someone for one reason or another. Knowing this, parents have become sensitive to the types of media content their children wish to view or access through e.g. the family computer. Accordingly, parents have begun to limit or even block their children's access to certain web sites deemed “objectionable” by the parents for one reason or another.
Current methods for filtering/limiting access to media content on the Internet apply an “all or nothing” approach, whereby entire web sites or entire web pages within one or more web sites are blocked from being accessed by the requesting device. Although these wholesale blocking techniques may work adequately when applied to content providers known to contain a large portion of media content that may be deemed objectionable, it is not always easy to identify what content may be objectionable based solely upon the source of the content. For example, a content provider may offer a wide array of media content ranging from cartoons and educational shows, to nightly news broadcasts that may often portray violence. Although the children's programming may be welcomed within a home having children, the violence may nevertheless be unwanted.